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Overview

Still the only book of its kind, this intensely practical text helps nurses build the skills they need to gain and use influence throughout their entire careers. This second edition is updated throughout with new information on nursing, health care, and technology – including social media. Readable, timely, and upbeat, BECOMING INFLUENTIAL: A GUIDE FOR NURSES teaches through real-life examples, offering proven advice for using influence to solve many contemporary workplace problems. Self-assessments help readers evaluate their current organizational power, communication and goal-setting skills, negotiating and interviewing expertise, and even their abilities to manage confrontation. The book contains specific steps for career planning, resume building, career progress tracking, speech preparation, and more. Flexible learning activities include role plays, debates, observations, interviews, and networking assignments; up-to-date web and print resources support further exploration.

Editorial Reviews

From The Critics

Reviewer: Bonnie L. Saucier, PhD, RN (Indiana State University)Description: This book assumes nurses do not have the skills to influence, assumes they want them, and assumes the author knows what these skills are and how to teach them. The book allows readers to learn and practice these tools and helps nurses do their work better and easier. Purpose: The purpose is not to prepare nurses to pass state boards, certifying exams, or improve clinical skills. The purpose is to prepare nurses to care for patients, teach students, and interact with superiors, subordinates, and coworkers. In turn, nurses will be able to contribute to the profession more fully. The objectives of this book are not only worthy, but the author, with her level of expertise and international reputation, addresses a topic that has long been assumed or ignored in the professional development of the nurse. Audience: This guide for nurses in becoming influential is written for nurses, nurse educators, and graduate nurses wishing to enhance their practice. The author indicates that the book is for nursing in the teaching/practice arenas. Her credibility as an authority in this area is without question. Features: The book is organized into three parts. Part I covers the basics of power and influence, how influence works, and how to understand and use power and image. Part II deals with specific strategies to assist in the development of influence and how to achieve goals, build networks, become a skilled negotiator, just to name a few of the topics. Part III encompasses perfected, newly acquired skills influencing nursing, managing careers, and preparing successors. Additional features include tools for development, learning activities, and current references that compliment the text. Self assessment and development exercises are found in each chapter along with tips on setting goals, negotiating, and managing careers. Assessment: This is a one of a kind, step-by-step guide to becoming influential for nurses. It provides the highest level of quality education from an internationally known leader. This book is a much needed resource that should be enthusiastically embraced by the nursing profession.
3 Stars from Doody

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Meet the Author

Eleanor J. Sullivan is professor and former dean of the University of Kansas School of Nursing. From 1997 to 1999 she was president of Sigma Theta Tau International. She has served on the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and on the advisory council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, among other professional positions.

Dr. Sullivan is known for her publications in nursing, including her award-winning textbook, Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing, now in its fifth edition. Other publications include Creating Nursing's Future: Issues, Opportunities and Challenges and Nursing Care for Clients with Substance Abuse, as well as articles in nursing and health care publications. From 1997 to 2002, she served as the editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing, the official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Today, Dr. Sullivan is writing mystery novels featuring nurses. By showing nursing realistically, she hopes that readers will understand the complexity of nursing care and the skills and knowledge involved in being a nurse. Her first novel, Twice Dead, was released in 2002 by Hilliard & Harris Publishers. More books in the series are planned. Learn more at EleanorSullivan.com.

Preface

Nurses, individually and collectively, do not have a history of being influential in health care and other arenas.

The external environment in health care and in society has contributed and sustained nurses' lack of influence.

Nurses can acquire skills to become more influential.

This is a presumptuous book. It is presumptuous in assuming nurses don't have the skills to influence, assuming they want them, and assuming that I know what these skills are and how to teach them, all brash assumptions. Nonetheless, I am stepping out boldly to proclaim that nurses and nursing could and should be more influential. Culled from years of experience in nursing and from life, I've seen what has worked, what I've done right and things I've done wrong (the best way to learn), and what I've watched others do both right and wrong, relative to the ability to influence. I believe nurses can and should learn these skills to benefit the health and well-being of those in our charge: our current and future patients.

Some of the content presented here is not found elsewhere, and you will find some information here that even your mentors won't give you. It is hard hitting, and some of nursing's "sacred cows" are criticized. Do not be put off by this. Use these statements to generate debate in your classes and with your colleagues. Free and open exchange of ideas is the hallmark of an educated profession, and it is my belief that nurses are mature and capable enough to debate our issues without rancor.

This book will not help you pass state boards, prepare you to pass a certifying examor improve your clinical skills, per se. What it can do, if you are willing to learn and practice the tools presented here, is help you do your work better and easier, with confidence born of knowledge and the high regard for yourself and your work that you deserve. You will be able to care for your patients, teach your students, interact with superiors, subordinates and coworkers, and contribute to your profession more fully and in concert with your own abilities.

ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK
The book is organized into three parts. Part I, Understanding Influence, covers the basics of power and influence, including how influence works, how to understand and use your power and your image, how to make your interactions more effective, and how you can use politics to be more influential.

Part II, Using Influence, deals with specific strategies to help you become influential, including how to achieve your goals, build a network, become a skilled negotiator, work with others to accomplish goals, and how to deal with difficult people and problems.

Appendices include the ten little known secrets of success and additional resources.

Some content you already know and often use. Other content may be new to you, or you may have wondered how some people seem to be more effective in getting their ideas implemented. If so, this book's for you.

I have often thought that the world of work is somehow not real life. Real life consisted of friends and families, work and play, good times and bad. That, I know now, is both true and false. Work consists of life and relationships, but it is not all of life. It is a part of our lives and one that plays a large part in our daily existence and in the way we see ourselves now and into the future. Work is important, but not the only important, aspect of ourselves.

In work, as in life, we are always becoming. We are never finished growing, developing and changing. So it is in becoming influential. But know one thing: You are becoming the best that you can be.

Introduction

Nurses, individually and collectively, do not have a history of being influential in health care and other arenas.

The external environment in health care and in society has contributed and sustained nurses' lack of influence.

Nurses can acquire skills to become more influential.

This is a presumptuous book. It is presumptuous in assuming nurses don't have the skills to influence, assuming they want them, and assuming that I know what these skills are and how to teach them, all brash assumptions. Nonetheless, I am stepping out boldly to proclaim that nurses and nursing could and should be more influential. Culled from years of experience in nursing and from life, I've seen what has worked, what I've done right and things I've done wrong (the best way to learn), and what I've watched others do both right and wrong, relative to the ability to influence. I believe nurses can and should learn these skills to benefit the health and well-being of those in our charge: our current and future patients.

Some of the content presented here is not found elsewhere, and you will find some information here that even your mentors won't give you. It is hard hitting, and some of nursing's "sacred cows" are criticized. Do not be put off by this. Use these statements to generate debate in your classes and with your colleagues. Free and open exchange of ideas is the hallmark of an educated profession, and it is my belief that nurses are mature and capable enough to debate our issues without rancor.

This book will not help you pass state boards, prepare you to pass a certifying exam orimprove your clinical skills, per se. What it can do, if you are willing to learn and practice the tools presented here, is help you do your work better and easier, with confidence born of knowledge and the high regard for yourself and your work that you deserve. You will be able to care for your patients, teach your students, interact with superiors, subordinates and coworkers, and contribute to your profession more fully and in concert with your own abilities.

ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK

The book is organized into three parts. Part I, Understanding Influence, covers the basics of power and influence, including how influence works, how to understand and use your power and your image, how to make your interactions more effective, and how you can use politics to be more influential.

Part II, Using Influence, deals with specific strategies to help you become influential, including how to achieve your goals, build a network, become a skilled negotiator, work with others to accomplish goals, and how to deal with difficult people and problems.

Appendices include the ten little known secrets of success and additional resources.

Some content you already know and often use. Other content may be new to you, or you may have wondered how some people seem to be more effective in getting their ideas implemented. If so, this book's for you.

I have often thought that the world of work is somehow not real life. Real life consisted of friends and families, work and play, good times and bad. That, I know now, is both true and false. Work consists of life and relationships, but it is not all of life. It is a part of our lives and one that plays a large part in our daily existence and in the way we see ourselves now and into the future. Work is important, but not the only important, aspect of ourselves.

In work, as in life, we are always becoming. We are never finished growing, developing and changing. So it is in becoming influential. But know one thing: You are becoming the best that you can be.

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